San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1887-09-22


question involved, nothing In the character
OF the traffic assailed, nothing in the can
vass which secured that majority, that war
rants such conclusion.
The fallibility of human Judgment for
bids that one set OF men should decide q
question "Jor az time 10 come" The origin
and being Of our government are derived
from an idea directly opposite. According
to Jefferson; mo set OF mon can make
perpetual law or constitution"
The genius OF our government, which
abhors the Procrustean bed as model for
a constitution, permits and encourages
at proper intervals the re-submission Of de-
feated issues.
As to the nature of the question, the
cause is as just In August as in March. The
dangers accruing from the liquor traffic
have increased with It's victory. With ev-
cry battle their power and organization be-
came moro compact and formidable. As is
evidenced in their journals, oil over the
United States, to-day, In the midst of their
rejoicing over the Texas victory, they arc
concentrating funds and forces on Tennes-
see. In the meanwhile they are taking
steps to enhance their power in Texas.
They are adding to their 70 rtifcations. In
tie lust of triumph, they are preparing to
come before the Democratic camp and de-
mand the heads of their enemies. They
"breathe out threatenings," boycots and
prescriptions.
Every argument advanced against the
traffio during the campaign has been illus
trated and verified in the election and the
victory.
The necessity for providing against these
dangers has not departed.
The history of our country abundantly
proves that large majorities may be re-
versed. In the small state of North Caro-
lima, the majority against prohibition at one
time was 1900. But now prohibition
prevails in Raleigh and over the greater
part of the Old North State. The very vote
by the very same men, which rolled up that
120, 900 majority was converted, within a
decade, into vote of redemption.
The defeated philosopher keeps cool
and studies the causes of defeat. If ques-
ton has been thoroughly discussed before
an intelligent and unprejudiced people-if
the arguments for the pro, osition have
been fully refuted-if the decision has
been rendered upon the merits of the ques-
tion, and not upon technicalities or side
issues-and if this decision is overwhelm-
ingly against the proposition, then, human
ly speaking, this question is settled with
decree of permanency.
But is it 30 in this case Leaving ont
all questions of fraud, az at Ell Paso aud
many other places; passing by all illegal
voting under the attorney generals ruling
and from other causes; saying nothing of
the innumerable switches ingeniousy con-
structed for side-tracking the main ques-
ton, there yet remain two irrelevant factors
in the contest, which by themselves account
for the entire adverse majority.
/. The Republican leaders. who control
their party vote, saw, or supposed they
saw, in the defeat of prohibition an oppor-
tunity to disrupt the Democratic party.
They argued thus: If Prohibition prevail,
all difference of opinion among Democrats
will be amicably adjusted and the party
will go on conquering and to conquer. But
if it is defeated, the anti-prohibition Demo-
Gratis, spurred on by office-seeking leaders
and goaded BY the liquor dealers, will, by
some method, excommunicate the prohibit
ton Democrats These excommunicants,
in self-defense, will claim to be the true
party and appeal to the people. There will
then be in the field four distinct political
parties-saloon Democrats, anti saloon
Democrats, third party Prohibitionists and
Republicans. With such division, they
hoped to capture the state. Influences 80
exerted and ballots 80 cast were not upon
the merits of the question.
2. The second factor was this Though
the election was, technically speaking, aon-
partiSan;; though the Democratic platform,
fo;r oil tic pnpuftt tttIa 70
the privilege Of voting for or against the
amendment without forfeiture of party
fealty; though seventy six Democratic
members of the Legislature declared to the
same effect, and though the party machin-
cry was not employed, yet, from the begin
ming to the end of the campaign, the anti
prohibition Democrats, appealing to the
people in the party name, begged them not
to ruin the grand old party by adopting the
amendment. They insisted that there was
bug under the chip, q great big Kansas
bug. That the amendment was Trojan
horse left near the Democratic Troy, by the
cunning Republican Greeks. Thousands
and tens of thousands of men, who favored
prohibition on its own merits, were led by
their foars of the imaginary bug to vote for
bona fide bug Juice. They shut their eyes
to the fact that DIR. Cochran and 100, 900
Republicans were helping them TO pull the
prohibition horse to pieces and distractinR
attention until they could slip the true horse
of Democratic disruption into the camp
by the back way.
No one of the many thousand votes so
cast was upon the merits of the amend
ment
Outside of these wholly irrelevant factors,
great stress was placed by the opposition
upon other matters more or less connected
with the amendment that were circumstan-
tial and not essential 10 the prohibition
idea.
II was objected that in form and scope
the amendment was too sweeping and radi-
cal for a first experiment While there was
n difference Of opinion among the best legal
minds as to the import Of the amendment
on the manufacture of domestic wine, for
home use. yet that construction which de-
clared it adverse TO such manufacture, in
fluenced great numbers 10 reluctantly cast
anti-prohibition billots. At least. they ex-
pressed themselves as opposed to the whole
saloon system and as ready 10 support pro-
bibition when submitted in less objection
able turm. Moreover, the local option
counties, where prohibition is in operation.
voted against the amendment, under the
fear that its adoption would result IN free
whisky throughout their counties, until the
law WAS made operative, which, ~ they
we're told, would be two years hence II II
also believed that some politicians, looking
more 10 their own sdvancemeut and the
sIirnination Of their rivals than b the good
Df the country. or even the best Interests
1f their party. opposed and voted Against
ibs amendment, hoping by IL defeat they
zouid be able 10 set up and run machine
Df their oEn construction, one better suited
Tor the accomplishment Of their own selfish
purP0ses-
TIE con9ratulafious IN which tbsy have
.nduigsi since the election. the UuEArraut-